The Pennsylvania Game Commission is urging the people to come forward with any information that may lead to the person who shot a mature bald eagle that died Nov. 23.

Officer Darren David said a the bird was found near Main Street in Fayetteville on Nov. 20.

"We haven't gotten any leads yet," David said. "The problem is we can't just focus on the area the bird was found. It could have been shot and died weeks later, so it could have come from miles away from where it was shot."

Bald eagles are protected by state and federal laws, and the violator could face thousands of dollars in fines, along with a prison sentence and a revocation of their hunting license.

Anyone with information is asked to call the game commission's Huntingdon office at (814) 643-1831.

The bird's care

The game commission took the eagle to Dr. Jeffrey Ott, a veterinarian with Franklin Veterinary Associates in Greencastle, for treatment and evaluation.

Ott said the bird was very skinny, had diarrhea and fluid build-up in its chest.

"I treated it with antibiotics, cortizone, fluids and the appropriate diet," Ott said. "It did fairly well for a day or two, but it died the day after Thanksgiving."

Its body was sent to a lab through the game commission to determine the cause of death.

"I am not sure if it had lead poisoning," Ott said. "The X-ray revealed a shotgun pellet, but it did not appear to be in the intestinal tract. Most cases of lead poisoning occur when the lead is ingested. However, I can't rule out lead poisoning as the cause of death. The bird was lethargic and showing some neurological symptoms."

Ott said there was no obvious entry wound, and he could not determine when the bird was actually shot.

Ott has been involved in banding eagles, hawks and owls for 30 years. He said all birds of prey, including eagles, are protected and it is illegal to kill, trap or otherwise possess them without the proper permits.

"I, by no means, consider myself an expert, but I am fairly familiar with and extremely interested in birds of prey," Ott said.